Everything Happens For a Reason
by Hogan'sHeroesRock
Summary: This is the tale of Amaya Irtahata, and her story of healing, and the comfort she finds in a new friend; friends, she learns, come from the unlikeliest of places.
1. Falling

Hello! Welcome to my first Naruto fanfic. I've decided to do a fanfic based on the anime/TV series. I've also only seen the first 5 episodes, so bear with me. It's not going to be perfect, and it's probably not going to follow the plot line for the first season or two (is there a plot line?). Anyways, enjoy! The character Amaya is mine, her name means night rain in Japanese (I think).

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 **Warning: Attempted suicide in this chapter.**

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9/30/16 - I started to write this a while ago. Since then, I've watched almost the entire first season. While my knowledge of Naruto has improved immensely, I know that this isn't going to really work out. There's only three members on a squad, no more, no less, so this will be difficult. But I'll try to make it work.

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Amaya crept through the quiet streets, careful that her footsteps not make a single sound. She wanted to be a ninja, but she had always been told that she didn't have the right talents, so she observed the training techniques of others and modified them slightly.

Leaping up, she caught onto a metal pole and hoisted herself up. Clinging to it, she shimmied her way across to a rooftop. Jumping silently onto the roof, she made her way to an edge that overlooked onto the entire village. Sitting down, she gazed up at the stars and started to cry. "Why? Why was I saved and forced to relive every awful moment of my life?"

She stood as an idea occurred to her. If she leaped off of this building, she could die. End it all. Walking closer to the edge, she stopped and peered down. The fire in the lanterns of the villagers that were hung throughout the streets dimly lit the main streets, and cast a cozy yet haunting glow on the walls. Creeping even closer to the edge, she took a deep, shuddery breath. This was it. She was tired of being shunned, pushed, spat upon, yelled at, cursed at, hit, and overall, abused. Amaya leaned over the edge and spread her arms open wide as if to hug the sky.

Tipping forward, she inhaled the night air one last time. She began to drop, gaining speed as gravity pulled her toward the earth. Suddenly she lurched, and her fall came to a stop. The aruptness of it caused her to smack painfully against the side of the building.

She hung there over the edge for a long moment, and then she was slowly brought up. Amaya was pulled back over the edge so she was now on the roof. She flopped onto her back like a fish, and a groan escaped her lips. She peered up, and saw a older boy, perhaps five years older than her, leaning slightly over her. The expression on his face was one of boredom and alarm, and he possessed an air of confidence. He had spiky white hair, which was partially contained by a ninja headband. It slanted over his left eye and covered it up, which struck her as odd, because shouldn't you use both eyes to be aware of your surroundings? He also wore a mask that covered the lower half of his face as well as his throat, where it disappeared into the vest.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, until the boy cleared his throat. "What did you think you were doing?" He demanded, leaning over her. She shrank back in fear, for she was already in a vulnerable position.

"I was going to commit suicide, that's what I think I was doing." Then she paused. "Perhaps that is the wrong wording, Spiky. I know that's what I was doing."

A chuckle sounded from his throat, even though this was not an amusing situation. He sat back on his heels, crouched next to her, and eyed her curiously. "Spiky?"

"Yes, Spiky. You haven't told me your name yet, so you might as well have a nickname." She shrugged, getting up. She walked back over to the edge, and 'Spiky' stood up fully, ready to spring if she tried to jump over again.

"You shouldn't have tried to do that." He murmured softly, coming to stand next to her.

"And why not?" She asked. "I have lost my mother, father, brother, two sisters, aunt, uncle, and cousins. I have lost everything. Everything." Tears welled up in her eyes. "No one knows what it is like to live in fear, to watch your family being picked off by a mysterious creature, one by one, until you are the only one left."

He sucked in a breath, horrified by what the girl told him. "Come here, little one." He whispered, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "When life changes to be harder, change yourself to be stronger."

She did not say anything, but instead began to weep softly. But instead of crying alone, calling out to the night sky, she had a shoulder to cry on. Because here was someone, who seemed to understand the agony of what she'd been through.

And on that night, a light rain fell on the village.

There was a new beginning.

This is the tale of Amaya Irtahata, and her story of healing, and the comfort she finds in a new friend; friends, she learns, come from the unlikeliest of places.

Read it if you dare, and go on a journey.


	2. Freedom

Amaya ran at full speed through the forest as she was being pursued by a large hound. Fortunately for her, it was not a summoned ninja hound, it was just a regular dog. It was large and black, having floppy ears and a white chest. If you looked closely you would see a slight dappled look to it, much like a Catahoula Leopard Dog. But at the moment the only remaining Irtahata didn't care, she was too busy trying to outrun the hound. Suddenly she smacked right into someone, falling back with an 'oof'.

A familiar chuckle sounded in the air, and spiky white hair appeared in her vision. "Running away from your problems?" He asked, extending a hand out to her. An book was in his other hand, its cover familiar. Seriously? How many times could he read and reread that awful series? She took it gratefully, standing up.

"There's a dog." she panted. "Chasing me."

An even more familiar bored look came over his face. "Is it Shadow again?"

"Yes, he won't stop chasing me. Do something," she asked the Jounin, "Just don't let it get me."

"You're still afraid of _dogs_?" Kakashi Hatake exclaimed before he could help himself. "I thought we solved that issue last time."

The large black dog, now known as Shadow, bounded into the clearing after her. She leaped behind Kakashi. "No, we didn't. We just temporarily got rid of the issue."

"A ninja must fight his own battles." The white-haired Hatake told her, stepping aside so she was once again in the dog's direct path.

"Kakashi, help me!" She pleaded. "I'm tired, I can't fight him." In truth, she probably could, but her chakra levels were going down.

A brief look of concern passed like a shadow over Kakashi's face, and he rolled his eyes, stepping forward into the dog's path and making several rapid hand signs. The dog disappeared, and Amaya gulped. Even though she disliked dogs, she didn't want anything bad to happen to it. "What did you do with it?"

"I transported it back to the village." He replied, turning and walking away. "I can't save you anytime you see fit, Amaya. If I'm away on a mission, you need to know how to take care of yourself. You've been lucky these past few times. Lucky." He shook his head. "Luck runs out eventually."

Skittering after him, she caught up. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"To get assigned my team." He reminded her. "They'll fail, just like the others, I'm sure."

"Maybe you should go a little easier on them." Amaya murmured.

Stopping, he turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders, giving her a little shake. "No!" he growled. "They need to know how to work as a team. Otherwise, they won't be any good. They wouldn't be able to work with each other in a battle, they'd end up tripping over each other."

"Right." She said, wondering why he still had his hands on her. Sure, they had had close contact before, particularly when she tried to commit suicide, but still. Backing away, she mumbled, "I have to go." Leaping up into the trees, she darted out of sight, back to the village. She hoped he wouldn't try to track her down-she needed a bit of time alone- although he probably would. It wouldn't bother him if he was late to finding out who his new team was. Climbing to the top of a tall tree, she sat down on a branch, tears slipping down her face, which she roughly brushed away.

"Why?" She asked herself, quickly saddening. She would never be able to have a team, because she herself had never had any official training. Sure, Kakashi had spent hours upon hours of his time teaching her how to effectively control and use her chakra, and many hand signs and jutsus, but that wouldn't be enough for anyone.

She let out a shuddery sigh, a feeling of longing washing over her. She knew she would never fit in or belong. The village simply ignored people like her. Nothing would ever work out, she'd never be able to truly be accepted.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Kakashi was watching her silently from an opposite tree. A grim expression of pure determination spread across his face, and he stood up, brushing his hands off on his pants before setting off for the village, straight for the Lord Hokage.


	3. Chameleon

"Hokage-sama." Kakashi Hatake murmured respectfully, bowing slightly to the Hokage. "I have a issue."

"Again?" the Hokage asked the Jounin, refraining from rolling his eyes.

"Yes. It is about Amaya Irtahata."

"Oh?" the Hogake seemed to perk up, become more interested. "What about her?"

"She is troubled," Kakashi said, continuing on with what he knew the Hokage would ask. "She doesn't say it directly to me, but she wants to have a team."

"So what do you want me to do about it? Would this not be a better subject for Iruka?"

"I do not think so, Hokage-sama. I was thinking she could be assigned to my team. That is, if it's not too late."

"We have been over this before, Kakashi. You have failed twenty-six teams. Even if this team did manage to make it, how would she fit in? She's too old to be a Genin. What would she be, assistant squad leader?"

It sounded about right to Kakashi. "She's had training. I'd say she's about Tokubetsu Jounin level."

"Who trained her?" the Hokage asked. _Surely_ it wouldn't have been the Hatake that trained her…

"I did." Kakashi was not one to mince words, and the Hokage almost choked on his pipe. Suddenly Kakashi stood ramrod straight and declared, "I, Kakashi Hatake, Jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village, recommend Amaya Irtahata, Tokubetsu Jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village, as assistant squad leader to Team Seven.

The Hokage mulled it over. Surely Kakashi was serious about this, he had even put the ever-present book away. But what was so puzzling was Kakashi's reaction to this all. He did not seem the type to care, especially about someone who was not his team or family. "On one condition," the Hokage declared.

"And what is that?" Kakashi had resumed his normal, slouched posture and his one visible eye had went back to its sleepy, lazy, half-closed expression.

"Why is it that you care so much about this girl?"

Internally, Kakashi was startled, but he did his best to contain it and not display it. Years of being in the ANBU had taught him that. He formulated a response, one that would hopefully satisfy the Hokage. "I don't really know. I suppose it's because I saved her life. I think it's about time that she repaid the favor."

"Is that so?" the Hokage murmured. He knew it was something a little more than that, but for now he would accept the Hatake's answer. "In that case… I suppose she can be assistant squad leader."

"Thank you." He gave the Hokage his semi-famous closed-eye smile, and then bowed once, and did several hand signs. With a _poof!,_ he disappeared.

The Hokage chuckled. "Take good care of the one who steals your heart, Kakashi…" he murmured to himself. "I think you care for her more than you realize."

Of course, if the silvery-white-haired Jounin had been in the room, he would have denied it. And besides, he knew she didn't like him that way… right?

Back in the forest, Kakashi leaped from tree to tree, searching for Amaya. He had to find her quickly, because he would be extremely late to the assigning. Frowning, he searched for her familiar clothing amongst the leafy green vegetation.

"Amaya?" he called out.

"Kakashi?" she responded, standing up from the tree. He didn't see her yet.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Right here." She popped up in front of him, grinning.

"Wha-what?" He stammered, taking a step back.

She was the exact same color of the surroundings. Not just her clothes, but her skin as well! "I learned a camouflage jutsu. Works pretty well, huh?"

"Amazing…" He breathed out, stunned. "How did you learn it?"

"I don't really know… one minute I was sitting on a tree branch and then I feel a sting on my leg. I looked, and there's a leaf mark. See?"

He looked at it carefully, studying it. "How long have you had this mark?" He demanded.

"Well, I had a mark there before, but it was just about a quarter of this size, and it wasn't shaped like a leaf at all." She shrank back a little, he was getting very agitated.

"Hmm…" he puzzled. "Can you control it?"

"Yeah." She replied, and in a instant she changed into him.

"You used a transformation jutsu." He accused.

"Did you see me use the hand signs?" she snapped, and indeed her hands were by her side.

"The Hokage must know about this at once. Come on." He grabbed her hand and 'poofed' away, into the Hokage's office.

The Hokage was signing some paperwork when the Jounin teleported into his office. Without looking up, he murmured, "What is it this time, Kakashi?"

"Lord Hokage." Amaya bowed.

"Lord Hokage, you must see this at once." Kakashi interrupted.

"And what is 'this'?" He sighed.

"Show him." Kakashi told her, and she nodded. In less than a second, she had changed drastically. Now she blended in with the office walls.

The Hokage's pipe dropped out of his mouth. He gaped at her for a moment before stammering, "H-how did you do that?" He didn't see her do any hand signs, nor did he sense any chakra being used.

"I don't know, Lord Hokage. I was sitting on a branch and then I felt a sting on my leg. Then this mark on my leg- I've always had it but it was just like a mole- it was in the shape of a leaf. And after that, I could transform into anyone and change my skin and clothing to blend in with the environment, without using chakra." She transformed into Kakashi, without using any techniques. "See?"

Suddenly a ninja burst into the office, screaming and startling them all. Her skin and clothing immediately changed to blend in with the background. "LORD HOKAGE! NARUTO IS PAINTING THE HOKAGE MONUMENTS!"

The Hokage duly noted this change before turning and addressing the other ninja. "Alright, catch him and take him to the Academy." The ninja bowed, then turned and ran out the door.

"I noticed that when you were startled, you suddenly transformed. I'm guessing that it's a kind of protection skill. I'll have some of my medical ninjas look into it, but since you aren't in any distress, you can continue your work." He told her. She nodded.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." She bowed, and Kakashi echoed her. They both left the office, then Kakashi took her hand again and they teleported to the assigning room.

"What are we doing here?" Amaya asked, her skin back to normal.

"You'll see." Kakashi replied, giving her a closed-eye smile.


End file.
